Riser installation



July 5, 1966 E. R. BROADWAY ETAL 3,258,928

RISER INSTALLATION Filed Feb. 11, 1965 United States Patent O 3,258,928 RISER INSTALLATION Edgar R. Broadway, Gretna, and Robert B. McLeod, Belle Chasse, La., assgnors to Brown & Root, Inc., Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Fiied Feb. 1l, 1963, Ser. No. 257,706 7 Claims. (Cl. til-72.3)

This invention pertains generally to pipe equipment and particularly to pipe equipment and methods utilized in providing riser installations on offshore structures.

During the past few years increased oil and gas exploration activity has occurred at substantial distances from shore lines in bodies of water such as the Gulf of Mexico. Such increased oil and gas exploration activity and the consequent discovery of producing oil and gas have necessitated many improvements in bringing the produced oil and gas to shore in an economical, safe, and practical manner. One of the most desirable methods of transporting gas and oil produced from offshore wells is through pipeline systems which are connected to the wellhead and to suitable facilities on shore.

A satisfactory arrangement for coupling a pipeline to a producing well has been found to be through a riser pipe or vertical ltubular structure coupled to a pipeline which is laid on the bed 4of the body of water and to related apparatus at the platform structure adjacent the well head. The installation and coupling of riser installations from each well to the pipeline has been a cumbersome, expensive, and sometimes dangerous task in past practice. Divers have been required to install risers and as the depth of the water in which producing wells have been developed is increased, use lof divers has been substantially adversely effected dueto the physical limitations of the divers to work effectively in water having depths greater than 175 or 200 feet. In depths of water in the vicinity of 200 feet and deeper, a diver is incapable of staying down except for very short periods of time and therefore the number of divers required per job has raised the cost considerably of setting a riser. Extensive use of divers has been required particularly to make connection -of the riser to the platform structure and to connect the main pipeline to the riser.

Thus, the present invention provides improved means and methods for installing a vertical tubular structure near a platform in a body of water.

Another object of the present invention is to provide improved means and methods for installing a riser to a pipeline laid on the bed of a body of water, such means including a rail assembly into which the riser is positioned and lowered as the riser length is increased by coupling of riser sections from the upper part of a platform structure.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of coupling and positioning a riser to a well- 3,258,928 Patented July 5, 1966 the structure is installed in a body of water, such rnonorail assembly being used for positioning a riser as the risers length is increased and lowered along the monorail assembly into the body of water in a combined operation with related appara-tus. Such related apparatus may include a winch positioned on the platform and a pontoon and pipe laying barge, with the pipe laying barge having a dragline or crane assembly positioned at the stern of the barge. The main pipeline to be coupled to the riser is assembled in lengths on the barge and by means of lifting equipment on the barge the pipe is placed in the pontoon and the lower portion or elbow of the riser is welded to the pipeline. A line from the winch on the platform is run through a block attached to the lower part of the riser yand tied to the upper part of the platform structure. After the riser is coupled t-o the pipe on the pontoon, the pipe laying barge begins to move away from the platform structure and ahead of the pontoon. The pontoon remains in its original position until the stern of the pipe laying barge has reached the bow of the pontoon. At this time the pon-toon is attached through suitable means to the stern of the pipe laying barge land additional pipe sections on the pipe laying barge are coupled to the string of pipe on the pontoon. Upon completion of the coupling of the pipe, the pontoon is lowered simultaneously as the riser pipe is being stalked on from the upper portion of the platform structure. When the riser has reached its maximum length and the riser elbow is on the bottom of structure by fastening means on the monorail assembly. the `body of water, the riser is secured to the platform Referring now to the drawing in detail, FIGURE 1 is an elevational View showing various stages of installation of a tubular structure or riser while practicing the' present invention. Prior to the present invention, riser clamps were used for attaching the riser to a platform. However, as the depth of the water in which the Aplatform is positioned has 'become deeper, the known method of attaching risers to such platform has become a very costly endeavor because diving personnel are required to attach such 'clamps to the risers. At depths now encountered, a diver is not capable of staying down except for very short periods of time and while down, the efficiency of the diver at increased depths is quite limited. Therefore, the number of divers required has raised the ycost of setting the riser pipe in the conventional manner to a prohibitively high figure.

In the present invention as exemplified in FIGURE I a platform 10 is positioned in a body of water 12 with a plurality of legs of platform 10 being disposed in the bed 14. The depth of the body of water 12 may Vary but the present invention has particular adaptability to head iu a body of water and to a pipeline laid on the bed of Asuch body of water without the need of numerous diving personnel.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide means and methods for installing risers in an economical, safe, and effective manner.

FIGURE 1 is an elevational View showing various steps in installing a yriser with the aid of a pontoon and barge in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a portion of the monorail assembly utilized on the platform structure while practicing the present invention; and

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the monorail assembly shown in FIGURE 2 taken along line 3 3.

Briefly stated, the invention provides a monorail assembly -coupled to a leg of la platform structure before water which is 200 feet or deeper. One of the legs 16 of platform 10 may be chosen for positioning a riser 18. Platform 10 accommodates a slotted monorail assembly into which the riser is lowered as it is assembled at the top of the platform with power means such as a Winch 20 and a dragline 22 being located temporarily on platform 1t). The size of winch 20 and dragline 22 will vary according to the size of the riser pipe to Ibe positioned along the platform leg.

Vessel means including a pipe laying barge such as identified as 24 in FIGURE l is moved into proper location and the winch 20 and dragline 22 are then placed on the platform structure 10. Dragline 22 is used to stack joints of pipe in a substantially vertical position to a previous joint of pipe. A joint 26 is shown in FIGURE 1 prior to being coupled to the mainsection of riser 28. The winch 20 lowers the lengthening riser pipe into the slotted rail assembly until the riser rests in its proper place at the bottom of the body of water, namely on bed 14.

FIGURE 1 shows three positions of the riser installation operation. In position 1 the barge 24 is placed at the proper location near platform with a pontoon pipe support 30 floating along the pipe ramp side or Working side of the vbarge 24. Pontoon 30 is loaded with ,a continuous string of pipe to which the lower portion or elbow of the riser is lcoupled as soon as the proper elevation is obtained during lowering of the riser. The cable or line from the winch 20 is run through a block attached to the lower part of the riser and is tied to the upper part of platform 10. Dragline 29 on barge 24 is used to support the pipe while the riser elbow is being coupled thereto. When the riser has been lattached to the pipe in the pontoon, dragline 29 is uncoupled and the barge 24 is ready to be moved away from the platform 10. As barge 24 moves ahead, the pontoon 30 remains in its original position until stern 24A has reached the bow 30A of the pontoon 30. At this time pontoon 30 is attached to dragline 29 positioned on the stern 24A of the barge. Since a pipe laying barge is being used, the pipe on the barge is coupled as by welding to the string of pipe in the pontoon and upon completion of this coupling or weld, simultaneous action occurs so that the pontoon 30 is lowered along the monorail assembly on leg 16 as the riser pipe 18 is being stalked on from the upper part of platform 10. Care must be exercised as to the depth of the pontoon thereby keeping the pipe from deflecting Ibeyond the allowed radius of curvature.

Position 3 of FIGURE 1 shows the riser bend 32 on the bed 14 of the body of water 12 as the pipeline 34 is settling on the bed 14. The barge moves ahead as each pipe joint is stalked on the pipeline 34 as in the normal pipe laying procedure utilized with a pipe laying barge and pontoon. The riser 18 then is secured to the platform 10 by fastening means on the monorail assembly shown in more detail in FIGURES 2 and 3. The monorail assembly, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, has a plurality of fasteners such as set screws 50 which are tightened lby a diver who goes down into the water 12 tose'cure the monorail assembly to the platform leg.

FIGURE 2 is a plan View of the monorail assembly showing the relationship of platform leg 16 and the riser 18. Platform leg 16 has coupled thereto the monorail assembly generally identified as 40. The monorail assembly 40 includes angle members 42 and 44 coupled to a brace member 46 which extends between angle members 42 and 44 and supports them. Angle members 42 and 44 are so positioned so that slot or opening 48 is provided between angle members 42 and 44. This part of the monorail assembly is located on the platform prior to the platform installation in the body of water. A chamber 49 is provided in which a suitable member such as a web ange beam 51 is positioned. Beam 51 is coupled to the riser 18 by a plurality of gusset members 52. Set screws 50 are shown positioned in angle members 42 and 44.

FIGURE `3 is an elevational view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 showing how the monorail on the riser pipe 18 may be formed in sections with approximately 20 feet spacing being used along riser pipe 18. However, members 42, 44, and 46 which are attached to the platform leg 16 form a continuous chamber or slot 49 that extends along the full length of platform leg 16. It will Ibe appreciated from FIGURE 3 that the monorail assembly of the present invention allows the riser pipe 18 to be slidably positioned along platform leg 16 until the bottom of the riser is on or sufficiently adjacent to bed 14 whereupon fastening means such `as set screws 50 are used for rigidly securing the riser pipe 18 to leg 16.

Thus, the invention provides improved apparatus and methods for positioning and securing a riser pipe to a platform in a body of water having substantial depth. The apparatus and methods of the present invention materially decrease the cost, time, and equipment previously necessary for making riser installations under similar conditions.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, the invention is defined by the following claims. Although such claims may be presented in indented format to facilitate reading and understanding thereof, such indented format is not to be construed as a structural or functional limitation of the elements or steps recited in the iclaims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for positioning a riser coupled to at least a portion of a pipeline to be laid on a bed 0f a body of water, said apparatus including:

support means having at least a portiony extending downwardly into a body of water;

guide means coupled to said portion of said support means and extending generally downwardly into said body of water;

means for lowering a riser along and in slidable engagement with said guide means;

separate vessel means for lowering at least a portion of a pipeline coupled to said riser into said body of water; and

fastening means coupled to said guide means for iixedly positioning said riser after said pipeline portion has been laid on a bed of the body of water.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises:

a monorail assembly coupled to said portion of said support means and extending downwardly into said body of water,

said monorail assembly including first and second members coupled to said leg so that a slot is formed between said first and second members; and

wherein said apparatus includes web means connected with said riser and slidably disposed within said slot.

3. Apparatus for positioning a riser coupled to a pipeline to be laid on the bed of a body of water, said apparatus including in combination,

a platform structure having at least one leg adapted to be at least partially disposed in a body of water and extend at least to a bed of said body of water Iand have .an end thereof enter said bed,

guide means coupled to said leg and extend-ing there-A along from the end adapted to enter the bed of the body of water to a position adjacent the platform,

power means'disposed on said platform structure for -assembling and lowering the riser along said guide means,

separate vessel means for assembling and lowering a pipeline coupled to said riser into the body of water while the riser is assembled and lowered into the body of Water, and Y fastening means coupled to said guide means for xedly positioning the riser after the pipeline has been laid on the bed of the body of water.

4. Apparatus defined by claim 3 wherein said power means includes a winch and a crane.

5. Apparatus defined by claim 3 wherein said vessel means includes a barge and a pontoon.

6. Apparatus defined by claim 3 wherein said fastening means includes a plurality of set bolts.

7. An apparatus as described in claim 3, wherein said guide means comprises:

a monorail assembly coupled to said leg of said platform and extending along the longitudinal axis of said leg, said monorail assembly including first and second members coupled to said leg so that a slot is formed between said first and second members,

' and a support coupled to said first and second memvbers intermediate said leg and said slot; and

wherein said apparatus includes web means connectedwith said riser and slidably disposed within said slot.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Conover 6172.3 Moore et al. 13S-109 Hazen 248-74 X Pohl 61-72.3

Chapman 61-72.4 Rasor 13S- 109 Collins 61-72.4

Timothy 61-72 Wallace 61-46 Wolff 61-46.5

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

EARL I. WITNER, Examiner.

R. A. STENZEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING A RISER COUPLED TO AT LEAST A PORTION OF A PIPELINE TO BE LAID ON A BED OF A BODY OF WATER, SAID APPARATUS INCLUDING SUPPORT MEANS HAVING AT LEAST A PORTION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO A BODY OF WATER; GUIDE MEANS COUPLED TO SAID PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND EXTENDING GENERALLY DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID BODY OF WATER; MEANS FOR LOWERING A RISER ALONG AND IN SLIDABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID GUIDE MEANS; SEPARATE VESSEL MEANS FOR LOWERING AT LEAST A PORTION OF A PIPELINE COUPLED TO SAID RISER INTO SAID BODY OF WATER; AND FASTENING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID GUIDE MEANS FOR FIXEDLY POSITIONING SAID RISER AFTER SAID PIPELINE PORTION HAS BEEN LAID ON A BED OF THE BODY OF WATER. 